Eagles open to any kicking strategy against Devin Hester

Chicago Bears' Devin Hester tries to get past Green Bay Packers' Jarrett Bush on a punt return during the second half of an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles had six kickoffs last week, each shorter than the other, each more crooked, more bouncy, more likely to result in favorable Vikings field position.

There were squibs and pooches and misdirections and swinging bunts, but there were no booming kickoffs anywhere near Cordarrelle Patterson, the dangerous Minnesota return man.

“Oh,” said Dave Fipp, the Eagles’ special teams coordinator. “Is that different? I don’t know.”

It had been characterized that way, yes, just a bit, just once or twice, just every minute of every hour of every day since, in the press, on the air, in any football conversation. Yes, it was different, and, no, it did not help the Eagles win.

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But that was Fipp’s position after practice Thursday at the NovaCare Complex, as it well could be his position Sunday night when, across the street, the Eagles will entertain the Chicago Bears and Devin Hester, one of the most dangerous return men in NFL history.

Nothing, apparently, is off the table — not kicking to Hester, not kicking away from him, not sending every kickoff 10 yards and one inch, and no more.

“He’s a great returner, obviously,” Fipp said. “He is arguably one of the best in the league. We’ve got a ton of respect for him. We’ve got a huge challenge ahead of us. So we’ll see what happens.”

What often happens are touchdowns whenever Hester accepts a kick or a punt, 19 since entering the NFL in 2006, five with kickoffs, 13 with punts, one after a missed field goal. That leaves him tied for the NFL record with Deion Sanders, and suggests his willingness to grab it all for himself Sunday in the Linc.

But since the Eagles have not apologized for their small-ball approach to kickoffs in Minnesota, they have not ruled out that option against Hester — not even at whatever risk to their feelings, should the fans unload with an expression of displeasure.

“Everything is a possibility,” said Fipp, who has been an NFL special teams assistant coach since 2008. “We go into every game with all options open. I am not going to go into what our plan is, but I will tell you that we have a lot of respect for Hester as a returner. And we have a big challenge ahead of us.”

In addition to the blunted kickoffs, the Birds’ special teams options include directional and pooch punts, a greater emphasis on hang time and simply punting the ball out of bounds. Thursday, the Birds practiced outdoors, theoretically allowing for more practical punting work, which well could make the difference in a game that might yield them a division championship.

“Last week, we altered some stuff with the punts, with the kickoffs,” said Eagles punter Donnie Jones. “Maybe you didn’t notice, but we were trying to eliminate those guys from the game. The entire game, we did that — Australian rules punting, we did it the whole game, trying to force fair catches. Obviously, you don’t want to give up big plays that can be returned for touchdowns.

“Any returner can hurt you, but there is a special group, I think, the ones who are extremely good. He (Hester) is one of them. The guy we faced last week is very good. We just have to go out and take care of our stuff.”

They can play it the way they want to play it, a position that they are vigorously defending — from the players, to the coaches, to the special teams assistant.

Hey, if that means criticism, they’ll just pretend not to notice.

“I don’t know,” Fipp said. “For me, it’s all been a growing experience. You get better with every situation. You get better every day. I hope as a coach you don’t see yourself as anything different than a player. You are always striving to get better, striving to learn from your mistakes in the past and move forward into the future.”

Even if it is just one floppy kick at a time.

Follow Jack McCaffery on Twitter @JackMcCaffery.

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